How quickly a dog adjusts to a new home and owner depends on factors including the dog’s personality and previous experiences. Credit: Catherine Falls Commercial | Getty Images
Adding a new dog to the family is an exciting time. It also has the potential to be a little stressful, especially as everyone is getting to know each other, or when you’re welcoming an older dog rather than a puppy.
Here are five ways to help smooth the transition:
1. Ease Into Things
When you first get home, do a little on-leash exploring of the yard and give your dog an opportunity to relieve herself outside. It’s understandable that humans in the household—especially kids—will be excited but aim for calm introductions and don’t smother your dog with affection. You know your dog will be your new best friend, but your dog is just trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Introduce her to canine housemates slowly and be prepared to separate dogs as necessary if your new dog looks overwhelmed by the interaction. Provide a comfortable spot to rest and respect the area as her personal space.
While you may ultimately want to change your dog’s diet, we recommend waiting until she’s a little more settled before introducing dietary changes. Speaking of diet, don’t be alarmed if she’s refusing treats and picks at meals or isn’t eating in those first couple of days—especially if she’s visibly nervous. Don’t make a big deal of it (that can make things worse!) and know that a healthy dog won’t starve herself.
2. Establish a Routine and Clear Expectations
Routines are comforting for the predictability they provide. Feed and take your dog out on a schedule to help set your dog up for housetraining success. Even if she’s older, or you’ve been told she’s housetrained, it’s best to approach the situation as though she’s a young puppy: closely supervise and take her out often!
Set clear expectations from the beginning. If you don’t want your dog on the couch, don’t invite her up as a special treat in the first week home because she looks sad and you think she needs a cuddle. (If she’s initiating a cuddle session, go for it! Just do it in a dog-friendly area.)
3. Train as a Bonding Opportunity
As you navigate your initial weeks together, reward generously if practicing simple obedience behaviors like sit or responding to her name—and anytime she’s doing something you like: lying calmly at your feet, not jumping on the counter when you’re in the kitchen, etc. Teach her you’re an endless source of good things.
Experiment a little to see what your dog likes best. Try different treats. Try different toys. Try different types of petting. Let yourself be a little silly and see how she responds. Be careful not to overdo it, especially in the beginning. It’s easy to come on a little too strong and accidentally overwhelm a dog we’re trying to connect with. Don’t get discouraged if your best attempts to connect seem to fall flat, especially within the first several months of the new relationship. You’re still getting to know each other!
Attending a well-run group training class is also great for bonding. If scheduling allows, I like to let dogs settle in for those first three weeks before joining a class. Schedules don’t always work out that way though, so if you’re attending sooner, be willing to adjust your expectations accordingly. That might mean you and your dog sit together and watch class more than you actively participate for the first week or so. That’s OK, it’s still a shared experience and an opportunity for you to learn more about what your dog needs to feel safe and relaxed.
4. Have Safety Precautions in Place
We recommend arriving prepared with a collar and ID tag as you pick up your new dog. I like to use nylon or cloth martingale collars for their limited-slip feature that allows the collar to tighten enough to not slip over the dog’s head—especially if they get happen to get spooked while on-leash—but not continue to constrict around the neck like a choke chain.
If your dog has already been microchipped, make sure to update the contact information. If your new dog has not been microchipped, have that done at a wellness visit with your vet.
If you have a fenced yard, be cautious about leaving your new dog outside unsupervised during the initial adjustment period. Many dogs who land in shelters or rescue facilities ended up as strays because of their escape-artist tendencies!
5. Be Patient!
Remember that all dogs are individuals with unique needs and different quirks. The time spent supporting your dog as she adjusts to her new home is an important part of getting to know each other, and it will help build a strong foundation for a wonderful life together.
How Long Does It Take for a Dog to Adjust?
It depends!
Some trainers refer to the 3-3-3 Rule when giving clients a general idea of what to expect in terms of the time it takes a shelter or rescue dog to adjust to a new home. In short, the rule suggests it takes three days for a dog to begin to relax, three weeks for a dog to feel settled enough to begin to show her true colors (the good and the bad!), and three months to feel bonded and able to really begin to enjoy life in her new forever home.
While some dogs may adjust in alignment with this schedule, it’s not the case for all dogs, and general concepts like the 3-3-3 Rule have the potential to leave us feeling like we’re doing something wrong if our new dog doesn’t seem to be adjusting according to the timeline.
In recognition of every dog’s unique temperament and life history, we prefer to describe adjustment in terms of phases, and without the potential pressure of a calendared timeline.
Caption: Studies have shown that dogs are capable of smelling certain types of human cancers. Credit: Joe McBride | Getty Images
Those of us who live with and love dogs, know they’re remarkable creatures. We’ve only recently begun to learn just how remarkable they are. With about 220 million scent receptors (compared to our own puny 5 million), dogs can smell things that are impossible for us to detect. By virtue of that astounding sense of smell, dogs have been trained to identify dozens of substances including drugs, explosives, arson accelerants, and human remains. In fact, we know that dogs can distinguish the smell of a rodent from up to 160 feet away, a wild tortoise from 200 feet away, decaying flesh from 600 feet away, and whale scat from more than a mile away.[i]
Countless studies also show that dogs can detect certain diseases like Parkinson’s and SARS-CoV-2, along with the onset of conditions such as seizures, low or high blood sugar in diabetics, and migraines. Now, mounting evidence suggests that dogs can also play a part in detecting human cancer.
But how is it that dogs can detect illness—specifically cancers—simply through scent?
The Scent of Disease
It all goes back to the makeup of the human body. Our bodies, along with almost everything else in our environment, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a medley of organic chemicals that vaporize at room temperature and disperse in the air. Human beings continuously emit hundreds of VOCs through normal biological and physiological processes, such as when we ingest food or by the breakdown of certain bacteria in our bodies (for instance, the odor produced by sweat).[ii]
It was Hippocrates who, around 450 BCE, first identified several disease-specific odors in urine and sputum. But it took until the beginning of the 19th century before scientists began investigating the link between human odors and disease, and discovered that disease-related VOCs can diffuse throughout the tissue and be expelled in breath, feces, vaginal secretions, skin, sweat, urine, and blood.[iii],4 By the second half of the 20th century, gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy were being used to separate VOCs and identify cancer-specific substances in these human excretions.[iv]
How Dogs Sense Cancer
Then dogs entered the scene. The first known instance of a dog being able to detect cancer came in 1989, when two British dermatologists reported on how a patient’s dog repeatedly sniffed at a lump on her leg, even through her clothing, eventually prompting the woman to see her doctor. The lump turned out to be malignant melanoma.[v]
At first, scientists were skeptical, treating this anecdote for what it was: an anecdote. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that their interest began to overcome their skepticism, when additional studies validated earlier suspicions that dogs could indeed sniff out cancer. This included a 2004 experimental study which found that dogs’ ability to detect bladder cancer in urine was greater than would be expected by chance alone. Further, much to the researchers’ surprise, the dogs kept identifying the urine of one healthy participant as being positive for cancer. Concerned, the person’s doctor ordered additional tests and found that this “healthy” individual in fact had very early-stage kidney cancer.[vi]
In 2006, the first of what were to become dozens of high-quality, double-blind studies was published. (In a double-blind study, neither the dogs nor their handlers know which samples are cancerous.) In this first study, breath samples were taken from 55 lung cancer patients and 31 breast cancer patients. Specialized instruments were unable to detect anything in these patients’ exhaled breath . . . and yet dogs identified 99 percent of the lung cancers and between 88 and 98 percent of the breast cancers.[vii]
In the intervening years, an increasing number of studies have investigated the ability of dogs to accurately detect lung, breast, ovarian, bladder, and prostate cancer.[viii] For instance, in 2021, a British research team held a clinical trial with 246 patients ranging in age from 45 to 80 years, 41 of whom had been diagnosed with various stages of lung cancer. (The remainder were healthy individuals with no history of cancer.) In combined test results of both breath and urine, the dog correctly identified 40 of 41 cancer samples.[ix]
That same year, a multi-national team of scientists demonstrated that dogs can be trained to detect the most aggressive and lethal form of prostate cancer from VOCs.
The Dog’s Role in Early Cancer Diagnosis
Speaking of the prostate cancer study, Dr. Claire Guest, Chief Scientific Officer of Medical Detection Dogs said, “This study showed that a dog’s nose could hold the key to an urgently needed, more accurate, and non-invasive method of early prostate cancer diagnosis.”[x]
The need for accurate, early diagnosis of all cancers is equally urgent. Cancer is the second major cause of death worldwide. According to the National Cancer Institute, by 2040, the worldwide number of new cancer cases per year is expected to rise to almost 30 million, and the number of cancer-related deaths to more than 15 million.[xi] Early diagnosis is the single most effective way to reduce the risks associated with cancer and enable cancer victims to have the best chance for successful treatment and survival.[xii]
Despite all the strides that have been made over the last 40 years in the fight against cancer, early detection and intervention efforts are still lacking. The dog’s nose is playing an important role in the attempt to identify cancer earlier, once again proving that a dog is indeed a human’s best friend.
[iv] Shirasu, Mika, and Touhara, Kazushige. “The scent of disease: volatile organic compounds of the human body related to disease and disorder.” The Journal of Biochemistry, Volume 150, Issue 3, September 2011. https://doi.org/10.1093/jb/mvr090
For Linda Shear and windflower Townley, there was a lot to consider when deciding who to hire to drive their two dogs across the country. Credit: Mogeb Alomeri
It was one of the most challenging choices Linda Shear and windflower Townley (Townley spells her first name with a small w) say they ever had to make: Who would they hire to drive their two dogs, Emma and Skylar, across the country?
“We had to move from California to Massachusetts,” Shear says. “At first, we thought we would drive them in our car, but we realized it was just too far. We don’t like long-distance driving.”
They decided to fly, but their dogs were too large to fit in the plane’s cabin, and the couple didn’t want them to fly in the cargo hold.
So, they tried to find a reputable dog transport service. “It was really stressful,” Townley says. “We looked for weeks to find people we could rely on that offered a reasonable service at a reasonable price.”
They interviewed a couple of pet moving services, but after some quick internet sleuthing, they discovered horror stories. A dog died from heat exhaustion while in the care of one company they spoke to, and a driver for another was facing charges for causing a hit-and-run accident.
“It’s scary because, to us, our dogs are family,” Shear says. “I feel like we dodged a couple of bullets by taking the initiative to do some research.”
How do you find a trustworthy dog moving company? It’s essential first to understand how the system works.
The Rules of the Road
Emma and Skylar crossed the U.S. with Animal Logistics pet transport services owner Mogeb Alomeri. Credit: Mogeb Alomeri
Anyone hired to transport, handle, or hold dogs in connection with their trip must register with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a carrier or handler. This includes large pet transportation services with multiple vehicles and employees as well as individual drivers with a van who operate their own pet moving companies.
However, the registration process doesn’t include animal or transport competency tests, criminal background searches, or driving history checks. Commercial driver’s licenses are not required; neither is knowing pet CPR, first aid, or having dog handling skills.
As part of the registration process, companies agree to obey the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which sets regulations and standards for transporting and handling dogs. There are rules about feeding, housing, sanitation, ensuring dogs have adequate and secure crates, proper ventilation, and common-sense procedures like keeping aggressive dogs away from other animals.
But animal welfare experts say they are concerned about gaps in the regulations. “They only require carriers to clean urine and feces once every 24 hours, provide water once every 12 hours, and there are no required rest (bathroom) breaks for dogs,” says Morgan Boutilier, an attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Unless a transporter gets pulled over by police or a major problem occurs, like a breakdown or a sick dog, no one outside the company may know what happens during a road trip.
The rules do allow the USDA to conduct unannounced inspections of companies’ facilities and take action if the businesses violate the AWA. You can check a pet transporter’s inspection and violation history and verify they’re registered on the agency’s website.
Though the USDA accepts and investigates complaints about pet transportation services, the feds don’t post those complaints–or even the number of complaints a company has–online. To find that out, you must submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which can take 20 days to get a response and that response may not contain the information you need.
Growing Need for Safe Ground Dog Transport Services
Alomeri transported the dogs in Shear and Townley’s car. Credit: Mogeb Alomeri
Some in the pet transport business are calling for improvement in the industry, government regulation, and ways to make it easier for pet parents to find qualified movers to take their animals on the road.
“There are reputable companies, but the onus is on the individual that will be trusting their beloved pet family member to a transporter,” says Elizabeth Schuette, president and CEO of The Ark at JFK, a pet transportation company.
Schuette is also on the Animal Transportation Association (ATA) board of directors and a member of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA). Both professional organizations have standards and ongoing education for pet movers. IPATA has strict requirements for active members, including providing proof of their insurance, letters of recommendation, and taking a proficiency test.
But Schuette says she’d like trade groups to create special requirements and certifications specifically for companies transporting dogs by ground. These pet movers are in high demand because airlines are increasing restrictions on dogs flying in the cabin, and many dogs can’t tolerate flying in the cargo hold due to their breed (like brachycephalic dogs), behavior, health, and safety concerns.
“There’s a whole new business opportunity in ground transportation for pets, and it’s really a fledgling market,” Schuette says. “There’s a lot that goes into it and if you did engage a ground transporter, you could be confident that if they had these certifications, you were putting your dog in safe hands.”
Dog Transport Service Cost
If you do an internet search for pet transportation companies, you’ll see large and small businesses and brokers who offer your dog moving needs to different drivers who bid on giving your pup a lift.
Some movers use their own cars, others rent vehicles or mini-vans, and some have corporate fleets.
Many companies offer group or shared transports with other dogs. The price is often based on the size of your dog, their medical or behavioral needs, and length of the journey. Shared rides range from about $700 to $3000. Usually, these movers run weekly or monthly routes and pick up and drop off your dog along the way.
Some businesses offer private transport for your dog, which might cost from $1.75 to $3.00 or more per mile, depending on the services you request.
“If someone doesn’t want their dogs around other dogs, or they feel their dog is aggressive and can’t be with others, they ask us if we could just send an individual to pick up their dog and drive them,” says Mogeb Alomari, who owns Animal Logistics pet transport services.
Alomari’s company offers group and private rides. He drove Shear and Townley’s dogs across the country in the couple’s car as they flew to Massachusetts.
He tries to cater to his customers’ needs and offers relocation services for military members, rescue groups, breeders, and VIPs.
“We have athletes, we have celebrities, and usually their managers contact us and say, ‘During the off-season, they’re moving back to North Carolina,'” Alomari says. “I’d say that would cost anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000 depending on how many dogs and what the client wants. Some say, ‘I want you to rent an Airbnb every night and stay with my dogs.’ So, we have to factor all this in.”
Is Your Dog Right for a Road Trip?
Before hiring any pet transporter, you need to ask yourself tough questions, starting with: Is your dog the transporting kind?
It’s important to be brutally honest with any mover you interview and tell them about your pooch’s quirks:
Has your dog bitten or snapped at anyone? What were the circumstances?
How does your dog react to being handled by strangers?
Does your dog have health problems? Or anxiety?
Does your dog get car sick?
Is your dog fearful or a flight risk?
How is your dog in a crate?
Does your dog get along with other dogs?
You want to avert disaster and not put your dog or a driver at risk.
“We do a full evaluation of the client, a behavioral assessment of the dog, and make sure we have the right driver lined up to make the trip,” Alomari says. “There’s a lot that goes into making a trip successful.”
Before your dog goes on transport, they’ll need proof of a current rabies vaccination, an exam, and health certificate from a veterinarian.
Many transporters also recommend that dogs be up to date on parvo, distemper, leptospirosis, and kennel cough vaccinations. Your dog will be out of their usual environment and might be exposed to other animals during the trip, even stopping at rest areas to relieve themselves. Some states your dog travels through may also have specific vaccine requirements.
Make sure your dog is microchipped and your contact information with the chip company is up to date.
How to Choose a Pet Moving Service
Alomeri, Emma, and Skylar stayed at hotels along the way, getting to their destination in time to meet Shear and Townley. Credit: Mogeb Alomeri
To choose the right pet moving service, put on your pet detective hat and jump online. Ensure any company you consider is registered with the USDA and check out their violation history and inspection history. Google the company’s name and see what you can find. Search the Better Business Bureau’s website and even social media for complaints.
Check the ATA and IPATA listings of members who provide ground transport.
Once you contact a company, ask lots of questions. “Ask what their safety record is when it comes to driving? What is their contingency plan if a breakdown happens? Or their AC goes out? They need a plan in place. If someone says, ‘I can’t afford to fix this,’ or ‘I’ll call a tow truck,’ that’s what leads to disasters happening on the road with people’s pets,” Alomari says.
Other questions to ask a pet moving company:
What kind of vehicle would be used for your dog’s trip?
Is the vehicle climate-controlled?
Is there a fire and CO detector in larger-sized vehicles or trailers?
How often do they check on the dogs?
How often do they offer dogs food and water?
How often do they walk the dogs, and where?
What dog-handling experience do the drivers have?
What is the process for removing animals from their travel crate for relief purposes or an overnight stay?
Is the transporter experienced in controlling that environment?
How long is each driver behind the wheel?
Where and when will the drivers sleep?
Will the dogs ever be unattended?
Do the handlers know dog CPR and first aid?
What is the dog-to-handler ratio?
Do they have liability insurance if something happens on the trip?
Shear and Townley hired Alomari to drive their dogs to Massachusetts only after an extensive interview process in which they asked many questions.
Emma and Skylar arrived safely on the East Coast the same day the couple’s flight landed. They say their dogs had the road trip of a lifetime traveling with Alomari and staying at hotels along the way.
They’re so relieved their story has a happy ending; they did their research, and trusted their instincts.
“The fact that anybody with a van can do this, whether or not they have the competency and the capacity to get your animals somewhere safely, means you have to do your homework,” Shear says. “It’s better to regret that you put too much time into the vetting than to regret that you did not.”
This large stuffed version might be the only type of candy cane you should share with your dog.
Credit: Tianne Strombeck | Getty Images
Peppermint can be present in your house in many forms, especially during the holiday season. You may enjoy keeping a peppermint plant or have a stash of peppermint candies year-round. Many people also use peppermint essential oil for various purposes. And in December we can’t forget the classic candy cane.
Peppermint is never necessary for your dog, and it can be harmful depending on how much your dog is exposed to and any other ingredients in the product.
Peppermint Plants
Most dogs are unlikely to take a bite out of a peppermint plant in your house or yard, but some dogs are more adventurous than others. Chomping on a few peppermint leaves is unlikely to cause any harm other than possibly some stomach upset.
If your dog decides to consume an entire peppermint plant, he is more likely to experience vomiting and diarrhea.
Peppermint Candy
If your dog ate peppermint candy, check the ingredients for that exact product. A plain peppermint candy with sugar is not a problem for most dogs unless they eat a bunch of them.
Xylitol, or birch sugar, is a secret killer that may be lurking in peppermint candies. This artificial sweetener is extremely toxic to dogs, causing a dramatic drop in blood sugar, liver failure, and seizures. Depending on the dose and the size of the dog, consuming xylitol can cause death.
If the peppermint candy that your dog ate was sugar-free, contact your veterinarian or an emergency vet immediately.
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is highly concentrated, increasing both the aroma we humans love and, unfortunately, the risks for our dogs.
If you suspect your dog has been exposed to peppermint oil or peppermint essential oil and he is showing any of these symptoms, contact a pet-poison hotline. The Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 and ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435 are both excellent and have all of the latest information on toxicity in pets. These services do charge a fee, but it is worth every penny.
The hotline will guide you on what you can do yourself at home and will also be available to guide your veterinarian with treatment decisions.
What to Do If Dog Eats Candy Cane
If your dog ate a candy cane, check the box for a full list of ingredients. Sugar-free candy canes are the most likely to cause harm to your dog, so be on the look for xylitol or birch sugar.
If the candy cane contains xylitol, call your veterinarian or an emergency hospital immediately.
If you are uncertain about the ingredients in the candy cane, call a pet-poison hotline. They will help you determine if your dog needs immediate care, a routine appointment during business hours, or if you can monitor at home.
If the candy cane does not have any toxic ingredients, you can keep an eye on your dog at home. He may experience a little stomach upset such as vomiting or diarrhea but may also be totally fine. Smaller dogs are at more risk of developing symptoms than larger dogs, and the amount of candy cane that your dog ate will also affect his risk.
This idealized Halloween picture is what many dog owners hope for: their dog, in partial costume, delighting visiting trick-or-treaters at the door. But short strangers in costume at the door terrifies many dogs! Photo by Aleksandar Nakic, Getty Images
People often talk about the stress that the firework holidays (Independence Day, New Year’s Eve) can inflict on our dogs, but Halloween can also traumatize dogs, or cause them to go missing (all those open doors and distracted door-answerers!). Here are some tips to make sure your Halloween is a safe and happy day for your dog.
Dog costumes
Many of us are amused by seeing a dog in a cute costume—and some dogs honestly love the extra attention they receive in a Halloween outfit. But if your dog gets growly or glum in his costume, take it off! Don’t force costumes on dogs ever! It’s not worth getting someone bitten over!
Human costumes
As funny as you might think it would be to film your dog’s reaction to you or your kid fully disguised in an elaborate costume, please don’t! Many dogs are terrified by Halloween costumes, and it’s just as likely that they will run away from you in fear as growl and perhaps even attack the scary intruder. If possible, let your dog see you getting dressed up and/or made up. Talk to them so they are sure to look at your face and see that it’s still you. Save putting on any masks for when you’ve left the house!
Similarly, don’t expect your dog to be able to happily greet trick-or-treaters in full costumes. If she rolls with all the aliens, witches, ghosts and more, great. But if she’s even the slightest bit apprehensive, follow the tips in the next section to keep her (and the trick-or-treaters) safe and intact!
Trick or treat!
Keep your dog confined. If you are going to be providing treats for trick-or-treaters, set up an “air lock” around your front door with an exercise pen, so your dog can’t approach (much less run out of) the front door when it’s open. Better yet, confine him to a part of the house where he can’t access the door area at all. If you have baby gates set up so that he can see what’s happening at the door, but can’t come to the door, that may be ideal.
Alternatively, consider setting up a trick-or-treating station in front of your home, on the porch or in the driveway. Grab some chairs and blankets and the candy bowl and sit outside for the peak of trick-or-treating traffic. That moves the noise and hubbub farther from the house, and eliminates the door opening and closing multiple times.
Of course, turning the lights off and NOT answering the door is a good option, too!
Given that there may be an unusual amount of traffic, noise, and strangers in your neighborhood, make sure your dog is wearing a collar with current identification. It’s always a good time to check the registration of your dog’s microchip, too, to make sure that the registry has your current contact information.
Above all: Keep candy out of reach!
Secure all candy—especially chocolates—well out of reach of your dog! Go beyond the middle of the dining room table or counter; think top-of-the-refrigerator or a high cabinet. Make sure your kids secure their candy stashes in a safe location, too. Hiding a bag of candy under their bed will not prevent your dog from finding and eating it, wrappers and all. Help your kids determine a dog-proof hiding spot for their sweet treasure.
Even preparing the Thanksgiving feast can be dicey for your dog, so your best bet is to keep your dog away from the food and not looking upon it wishfully.
Credit: Yin Yang | Getty Images
Dogs can enjoy many traditional Thanksgiving foods. The key is to let them indulge in moderation. That’s because Thanksgiving weekend is infamous in the veterinary world for bringing a huge spike in pancreatitis, vomiting, and diarrhea. These things happen when dogs eat too many (and too much of!) rich foods that they are not used to.
Sometimes dogs get into trouble because family members are sneaking them too many treats, but other times the dog helps herself to the counter, table, or garbage can. Either way, these “treats” can lead to temporary and even long-term illness in your dog.
We suggest that, to ensure that you and your dog are both able to enjoy the festivities in the moment, you:
Instruct guests to not feed the dog without your permission, especially dogs with known food allergies or sensitivities or a sensitive stomach
Set aside tidbits for your pup so you know how much she is eating throughout the day
Avoid fatty cuts of meat
Avoid dairy products
Stick to minimal seasoning on any food that you feed your dog
Secure the turkey carcass and other garbage in a can that your dog either cannot access or cannot open
What Can Dogs Eat on Thanksgiving?
Of course your dog can eat many plain unseasoned vegetables, but in case you’re wondering about Thanksgiving staples that your dog can have in moderation, we’ve got you covered:
Turkey: Offer your dog a small amount of cooked meat. The skin is typically higher in fat and salt/seasonings, making it less ideal for your pup. Gizzards and organ meat are tasty treats for dogs who tolerate them, but they are also rich.
Ham: Allow tiny pieces of cooked ham, avoiding fatty areas. Ham is typically both fatty and salty, so just give your dog a taste.
Mashed potatoes: Plain mashed potatoes without too many things added in are safe for your dog, though she may not enjoy them, but skip the gravy.
Carrots: Your dog can enjoy carrots cooked or raw! Ideally feed ones that are not heavily seasoned.
Sweet potatoes: Offer to your dog plain, with minimal seasoning.
Pumpkin: Plain canned pumpkin is an excellent healthy treat for dogs. Offer a teaspoon or so if your dog has not had it before. You can even make your dog’s own pumpkin treats.
Pumpkin pie: Pumpkin pie has a lot more sugar than plain canned pumpkin, but your dog can have a small taste.
Green beans: Plain, cooked green beans are an excellent snack for your dog.
Cranberries: Plain and cooked cranberries are safe for your dog. If your family uses the classic cranberry sauce recipe of just cranberries, sugar, and water, your dog can even have a small taste of cranberry sauce (don’t go too overboard because of the high sugar content). If you add additional ingredients to your cranberry sauce, your dog should skip this dish.
Thanksgiving for Your Dog: Caution
Always remember that, while there are many Thanksgiving foods dogs can eat, err on the side of caution. Offer your dog small portions that do not have extra sugar or seasonings and avoid fatty foods.
The simplest option is often to set aside your dog’s “meal” ahead of time so you know exactly how much of each thing she will be getting. And if your pup has a sensitive stomach, save your carpets by not giving her any foods that she is not used to.
It is often difficult to stop dogs from counter surfing once they get started given how rewarding even occasionally success can be. Credit: Olaia Salvador | Getty Images
While our pet dogs live pampered lives compared to their wolf ancestors, they’re still opportunistic scavengers, happy to consume a tasty morsel whenever the opportunity arises—from a bit of leftovers out of the trash can to the turkey sandwich you were about to pack in your child’s lunch!
When a dog successfully snags food (or other items) from atop the counter or table, trainers call this “counter surfing.” Left to their own devices, most dogs—at least those tall enough to reach the counter—will experiment with this behavior thanks to the never-ending supply of tasty tidbits we humans insist on keeping there.
Set Your Dog Up for Success
Dogs love to gamble. I mean, they REALLY love to gamble. If something works for them—even once—you can bet they’re going to try it again, especially when the payoff was great—like a sandwich. When your dog is young or otherwise new to your home, it’s wise to employ some management around the house to make it less likely she will have the opportunity to experiment with counter surfing. Nothing makes us tidier around the house than a dog in training! Avoid leaving items of interest on counters and tabletops, and casually redirect your dog’s attention to an appropriate object when she’s sniffing around surfaces you’d prefer she ignore.
Teach the Behavior You Want
It’s easy to identify what we don’t want our dog to do. We don’t want them to counter surf. Great. What should they do instead? Dogs repeat behaviors they find reinforcing. Counter surfing is self-reinforcing—a dog is reinforced by the item he helps himself to. When we reward dogs for behaviors that are incompatible with counter surfing, the unwanted behavior decreases. Here are two ideas:
Teach Your Dog to Stay on a Mat in the Kitchen: If your dog is busy gluing himself to his dog bed while in the kitchen, he can’t be hopping up to steal things from the counter. Teaching a dog to calmly remain in one spot (sometimes called “place training”) is useful in many scenarios. In this instance, the dog learns there’s no need to investigate the countertops for rewards—you’ll deliver rewards to his spot. Don’t be stingy about it. As your dog learns to stay on his bed, make sure you reward generously so that it remains worth it—in your dog’s mind—to play the game our way instead of following his instinct to see what goodies he can find and enjoy on the counter.
Actively Teach Your Dog to Ignore Food on Counters and Tables: Another great option is to reward the absence of interest in food on a table or counter. In this training set up, the dog is rewarded for not moving toward the easily surf-able food. In the early stages, the forbidden food should be low-value and the rewards are high value. Train on-leash, and at an initial distance where it’s easy for your dog to be correct. Trainer Emily Larlham offers a great explanation and demonstration of this method on her Kikopup YouTube channel.
Rehabbing a Successful Surfer
If your dog is an experienced counter surfer, you’ll want to employ a combination of training and management. Training will help teach the desired new behavior, but it won’t happen overnight. In the meantime, you need to drastically reduce your dog’s opportunities for counter surfing. Every time your dog successfully surfs, he’s self-rewarding and the behavior will continue.
When you’re not in the position to actively train for the behavior you want, make it nearly impossible for your dog to practice the unwanted behavior.
Pay attention to your dog’s behavior with the goal of interrupting and redirecting when you suspect surfing is imminent. For example, as your dog walks alongside the counter, head up, nose twitching, there’s a good chance jumping up will soon follow. Interrupt this behavior pattern and encourage her to run and get a bone or toy and praise your dog for engaging in that behavior instead.
Another option—especially in the early weeks of your rehab training—is to simply avoid the temptation by keeping your dog out of the kitchen, especially during high-temptation activities like meal preparation, and when you know your attention will be elsewhere and you won’t be able to keep an eye on your dog’s behavior.
Remember—every successful surf makes the behavior more likely. Even if you reprimand your dog when you catch him in the act.
A Word on Using Punishment for Counter Surfing
Verbally reprimanding a dog for counter surfing—if you catch him in the act—will interrupt the behavior in the moment but will also likely teach your dog not to counter surf when you’re around. Ideally, we want our dog to understand the better choice is simply not to surf in the first place, whether or not we’re watching.
That’s not to say I don’t interrupt dogs who counter surf—I do, and it’s in a tone that clearly indicates my displeasure. But when I do this, I know it’s a Band-Aid, and a clear sign I need to up my training and management game.
Some trainers recommend elaborate booby traps using soda cans strung together and interwoven among a treasure your dog would love to jump up and steal. The idea is that the ruckus of the cans falling will startle the dog enough to prevent future attempts. While this might work on the occasional dog, many dogs, once again, learn to avoid surfing when they recognize this type of set up, or they’re willing to risk the ruckus in order to reap the reward.
With a proper introduction, a crate can become a place to relax and rest for many dogs.
Credit: Christine McCann | Getty Images
Crates are management tools meant to help your dog feel safe during your absence and other times he may need to chill. Dogs who learn to love their crates use them independently for relief and safety from thunderstorms or fireworks, when they need a break from holiday commotion, hoopla of houseguests or even just because they like it!
How to Crate Train a Rescue Dog
Get a crate large enough for him to sit, lie down (full extension) and turn around. Match durability with your dog’s size.
Encourage him to enter the crate on his own.
Make it an inviting space with a bed/blanket, appropriate chew toys, treats.
Go slow. In small increments, work up from a few minutes in the crate to longer periods.
If your dog vocalizes or paws at the floor or is otherwise stressed, wait for the split second of calm before releasing so you reward calm behavior.
Tips:
If your dog is stressed in his crate, go back to shorter increments of time and build from there.
If he’s just not having it try a dog-proof room or area of the house and follow same steps.
Some dogs do not like confinement even for the briefest of times. In those cases, consider a house sitter, small scale reputable daycare or reach out to a professional rewards-based trainer.
Dos
Do find a long-lasting chew your dog loves: save it only for crate time.
Do exercise your dog first: set him up for success to rest.
Do put the crate in a low-traffic area for privacy and security.
Do see if your dog likes a blanket/cover over the crate to help create a safe space.
Do keep the door open all the time so he can go in at will and chill.
Do provide water.
Don’ts
Don’t go too fast. Allow your dog to ease into the idea at his pace.
Don’t immediately confine for long periods.
Don’t confine for longer than necessary. A full workday can be too much for any dog. See if a friend, neighbor or even qualified pet sitter can come give him a break.
Don’t force him into the crate.
Don’t use it as punishment. Ever.
How to Crate Train an Older Dog
Follow the same steps! Additional considerations should be given to padding and for space, particularly if your dog has arthritis or is showing any signs of lameness and especially if symptomatic of canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia). Always good to check in with your vet here.
How to Crate Train a Dog with Separation Anxiety
If your dog already suffers from separation anxiety, or the equivalent of human panic attacks, crates are not the answer. Separation anxiety is a serious issue that needs serious help: call in the pros. You can find a certified rewards based CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer) trainer here.
Crates can be a dog’s den or his dungeon. Create positive associations and give your dog safety and security and yourself peace of mind.
Mostly due to how long it takes to get outside, potty training a puppy in an apartment can be more complicated than house training in a single-family home with a yard. Credit: Catherine Falls Commercial
Potty training a puppy is an exercise in diligence, consistency, and patience, requiring owners to keep a close eye on their dog’s body language, do their best to prevent accidents from happening, and provide rewards when the puppy relieves herself in the right spot. So how do these things apply when it comes to how to potty train a puppy in an apartment? While the basics remain the same, there are some special considerations.
The biggest issue when potty training a puppy in an apartment is the distance between the living space and the yard. In many apartments, you may have to get through hallways, multiple doors, flights of stairs, or an elevator to reach an acceptable outdoor potty spot. Even if you start moving the moment your puppy shows the slightest sign of needing to go out, the time it takes to navigate all of that is often too much for a young dog’s bladder. If you can’t consistently make it in time, it can be very difficult to teach the puppy where it’s appropriate to potty.
On the monetary side, there are also security deposits to consider. If your puppy has accidents on the apartment floor—or in public spaces such as hallways—that leave any visible or olfactory sign, you could be looking at footing the bill for a new carpet. This can add a level of stress that isn’t helpful to the potty training process.
There are a few ways to manage these concerns including:
Getting your timing right
Using puppy potty pads
Starting with dog diapers
Puppy Potty Training Basics
Regardless of where you and your puppy are living, there are several things to know about potty training. First, young puppies are still developing the muscle tone necessary to control their bladders and need to go outside far more frequently than adult dogs. They usually need to potty immediately after eating, waking up from a nap, or playing. While every individual is different, keep an eye out for behaviors such as circling, whining, and sniffing as these may indicate that your puppy needs to pee.
It’s important to not yell at or punish a puppy for having an accident inside. She won’t understand why you are upset and it won’t help her learn any faster. Instead, if you catch her mid-potty, take her appropriate potty spot to finish and praise her when she does.
Finally, use baby gates and tethers to control how far away from you your puppy can get. The closer she is, the easier it will be to see when she needs to potty. When you leave the house or can’t watch the puppy, using a crate can help. For more on how to use a crate for potty training and other potty training tips, see “How to House Train a Puppy”.
Timing and Puppy Potty Training
It is doable to rely solely on getting your timing right for potty training a puppy in an apartment. I’ve done it before, but it’s difficult and usually results in some accidents along the way. If you want to try it, you’ll have to be especially vigilant when it comes to recognizing your puppy’s body language and figuring out her schedule. Having good cleaning products on hand is also helpful.
The key is to go outside early and often. Any time you think your puppy might have to potty, take her outside immediately. It’s better to waste time on a false alarm or spend longer than you might like hanging around outside than to have an accident in the elevator. Remember, puppies in the 8-12 week age range need to go out approximately every hour, so the time commitment is significant.
How to Potty Train A Puppy On Pads
Dog potty pads can be a useful tool when it comes to potty training in an apartment. They provide an easily accessible spot for the puppy to relieve herself without a long sprint to the apartment building exit and most puppies figure them out fairly quickly. As with any potty training endeavor, the key to teaching a puppy to potty on pads is to be consistent. To start:
Put a clean pad in the spot where you want your puppy to relieve herself. You’ll want to choose a location you (and the puppy) can get to easily. Don’t change the location of the pads once you start the potty training process.
Show the pad to the puppy. Encourage her to walk on it to get comfortable with texture. As noted in “Indoor Dog Potty”, do not throw treats onto the pad to get the puppy to walk on it since dogs are unlikely to relieve themselves where they get food.
Bring your puppy to the pad any time you think she might need to potty.
Praise and reward her when she pees or poops on the pad. Give treats at least a few steps away from the pad.
How To Use Puppy Potty Pads and Outdoor Potty Training Together
Using potty pads does not prevent you from also training your puppy to potty outdoors. It’s just a matter of teaching her that both the potty pads and the grass outside are acceptable spots to relieve herself. The method for teaching her which spots are appropriate is the same: get her there before she goes and reward her when she does.
With my dogs, I used potty pads more frequently when they were tiny and phased the pads out as their bladder control got better. I still keep potty pads on-hand for weather emergencies or if I need to be out of the house for longer than I prefer for the dogs to go between bathroom breaks.
How To Use Puppy Diapers
With my last puppy, I chose to put her in dog diapers while we worked through the early stages of potty training since the entire apartment was carpeted. That way, if I wasn’t fast enough, I was only changing a diaper rather than scrubbing the carpet and hoping nothing stained. All in all, she wore diapers for about three weeks before I felt like she had enough bladder control to make it outside comfortably and was well on her way to understanding where to potty. We were in a second-floor unit with only one door and a stairway between us and the grass—if you are living in a high-rise, it may take longer.
It is important to note that puppies should never wear diapers without supervision. They can pull them off, chew them up, and swallow pieces, which can lead to dangerous intestinal blockages. Puppy diapers should also be changed regularly to avoid irritation and urinary tract infections. Get fresh diapers several times a day—even if they’re dry—and change wet diapers immediately.
I do not recommend putting diapers on a puppy at night. It’s impossible to supervise the puppy while you are asleep and it’s better for her to have some time without a diaper on. In addition, I let my puppy run around without a diaper for twenty minutes or so after coming back inside from a successful potty break. At night, she slept in a crate by my bed and I set up potty pads for her nighttime bathroom breaks until I felt like she would be able to consistently make it outside in time.
The trick with diapers is that you can’t get lazy. They’re only meant as floor protection—diapers themselves do not teach a puppy where it’s OK to potty and it can slow down the potty training process if you get complacent. The goal is still to get the puppy to an appropriate potty spot.
Adolescent dogs need more help than any others in the shelter to get adopted. Puppies appeal to adopters through sheer cuteness, and older dogs tend to be better behaved. But the “teen” dogs aren’t that cute and definitely need extra help to learn to live in human homes.
A couple of weeks ago, I took apart the Great Dane-sized crate that’s been living in my office and said I was taking a break from fostering. And then, as these things tend to go, I found myself putting the crate back together again.
A 7-month-old Lab/German Shepherd-mix got adopted by a woman who quickly became overwhelmed by the dog’s over-exuberant, physical interaction. She was jumping up, mouthing, and nipping. If the woman sat down, the dog would leap into her lap and start rough, physical play. And the dog was going to the bathroom all over the house! The adopter called the shelter, asking for a referral to a trainer, and they gave her my number. When she called me, sobbing, she admitted that she was thinking of bringing the dog back to the shelter, because she was just too much! But at the same time, the woman already loved the dog and didn’t want her to be at risk of euthanasia if she was returned!
I visited the woman in her home to assess the dog and the situation. Yes, the dog jumps and is mouthy, but she stopped these rude behaviors when I kept turning my back to her. The dog is not going to be huge and she’s smart; I had her offering sit and down and calmly accepting petting (with all four feet on the floor) within just a few minutes. The woman was equipped with a large crate (though she hadn’t been able to get the dog to quiet down in there, so she gave up on crating her). She had a large yard (though the fence needs some work). And she works a split shift, so she could actually come home in the middle of her work day to let the dog out of a crate and take her for a walk (if she could get her into the crate and get her to tolerate the crate, and work on her leash manners).
It wasn’t hopeless. But the dog, who had been in the shelter for four months, needs to learn a ton before she’s going to be much fun to live with. Because I think it’s possible for the dog and woman to work things out, and because I don’t want to see this dog go back to the shelter (where her prospects at this awkward age in a shelter crowded with younger, cuter puppies are not good), and because the woman can’t possibly afford all the training this youngster needs to be bearable to live with ASAP, I offered to foster her for a couple weeks. This would give the woman time to work on her fence and think about whether she’s really up for the challenge, and give the dog some training and manners so she’d be more adoptable if the woman does decide to return her to the shelter. She readily agreed.
Over the past decade or so, I’ve mostly fostered puppies who were less than 8 weeks old, keeping them until they were old enough to have spay/neuter surgery and get adopted. But when I first started fostering for my local shelter, I used to take on one ignorant teenaged dog after another, and teach them a few basic cues (sit, down, wait, and come), how to politely greet other dogs and humans, and to follow house rules (No helping yourself to human belongings! No counter-surfing! No going potty in the house!), until they could be presented to potential adopters as reasonably civilized young dogs. It’s not the most enjoyable type of fostering—but it’s demonstrably more critically needed.
When we raise puppies in our homes, they learn and absorb so much more than we think they do. We are aware that we are educating them when we teach them sit and down and come and when we carefully introduce them to leashes and collars and harnesses. But we don’t really think about the education that they are also receiving about not helping themselves to food off the counter, about not walking exactly in front of humans, that the sofa is best approached from the front (not over the back), that the TV is not a threat (no matter how loud it is or what scary sounds come from it), that one should not jump into humans’ faces when they are petting you (or when they are just bending over to put their shoes on), and a million other things. My foster puppies get adopted knowing all those things without my actively teaching them any of it.
In contrast, though, when a puppy gets raised in the shelter, and lingers in the kennel wards well into adolescence—like far too many dogs in crowded shelters today—their incorporation into a human home (if they are lucky enough, lacking manners, to appeal to an adopter) rarely goes smoothly. They are larger, stronger, and more independent than tiny puppies, and at the developmental stage when they have interests and a will of their own. No longer are they happy to toddle along and follow their humans everywhere; adolescent dogs are quick to judge a situation as unsatisfying or boring and pursue something more to their own tastes. Sleep in the closed-off kitchen? Why, when you are strong enough to push that gate over? Settle for the food they served you hours ago? Why, when you can easily reach all the food on the counter, in the breadbox, in the garbage can, and the cat’s litter box? Speaking of cats, is there anything more fun than chasing them through the house?
As I’ve been living with this very cute, sweet, friendly 7-month-old foster dog, I find myself grumbling to myself, calling her names (in my head, not out loud). “Oh, you idiot!” I think to myself when she wraps her leash around her legs and falls to the ground in front of me as I’m carrying things to the car, or steps into the water bowl on the kitchen floor, making it flip over and flood the room, or tries to run out the front door as it’s swinging closed and gets momentarily squashed, or stretches and falls off the couch, knocking into a side table and spilling the drink that was on it, or leaping into the air barking wildly because of the song that the clothes dryer made at the end of its cycle. She’s a dope! Only, not really! It’s not her fault that she didn’t have the opportunity to learn about doors and leashes and water bowls when she was a little puppy, and the consequences were tiny inconveniences. Now she’s big and rough and when she spontaneously—playfully!—paws at you and accidentally gets you in the face, it hurts!
No wonder that so many newly adopted adolescent dogs get returned to the shelter, many within a single day! I’m a very experienced dog handler, and I love dogs, but I can’t say I love this experience—and if I find it annoying at times, I can only imagine how daunting a relatively inexperienced adopter finds it.
But she’s also smart, learning fast, cute, and funny. She loves fetch, loves to play tug, is very careful with her mouth, loves being snuggled, and has been so good at listening to my recall cues and following along with my dogs on walks in our off-leash wildlife area, that I let her off leash on the very first walk she joined us for. She’s going to be a joy—with a couple more weeks of habituating to a human home.
So, even though I’m not making it sound like much fun, I have to recommend the experience. I know that the things this dog is learning are going to make the difference between getting adopted and having a good life, or leaving the shelter, lifeless, out the back door. And having been called and asked for help, I can’t turn my back on a dog who has the potential to be a very good one.
Will you answer the call for help fostering a needy dog at your local shelter?
You can feed your dog tomatoes, but wash them and cut them into tiny pieces that are fed sparingly.
Credit: Jbosley 58 | Getty Images
If you want to feed tomatoes to your dog, feed only the red fleshy part of a ripe tomato and cut the tomato into small pieces. Never feed green tomatoes or the green parts on a red tomato to your dog. Your dog also should not consume tomato leaves or tomato stems, as they contain solanine and tomatine, which are toxins that may make your dog sick. Just as with our own food, wash the tomato before cutting it up and feeding any of it to your dog.
Most dogs love vegetables, including tomatoes. They’re a healthy treat, although they probably aren’t as popular as green beans and carrots when it comes to canine veggie favorites.
How Much Tomato Can My Dog Eat?
To feed tomato to your dog, cut the tomato into small pieces, about a half inch in size. How many of these bite-size tomato goodies your dog can eat depends, of course, on the dog’s size. With small dogs, we would start with one or two bites; large dogs might start with three to four. There is no set “feed this many” rule. But, with all dogs, introduce tomatoes lowly because you don’t want to cause digestive upset. Dogs may react differently. Reactions like diarrhea and vomiting are signs that your dog has eaten too many tomato bites.
Note: There is always a chance of an allergic reaction, like with any other “new” food item, when you feed tomatoes. If your dog begins to pant abnormally, shows respiratory depression, tremors, or any kind of weakness, call your veterinarian immediately. If you can’t reach your vet, call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. There may be a charge for the call, but it’s worth every penny.
Can Dogs Eat Cherry Tomatoes?
Cherry tomatoes, also known as grape tomatoes, are a hybrid tomato believed to have developed naturally mixing a wild tomato and a garden variety tomato. They’re tomatoes, so the same “rules” for sharing them with your dog apply: in moderation, no stems or leaves, no green parts, and a tiny piece.
Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes Raw?
Yes, dogs can eat raw tomatoes, but no stems, leaves, or green parts, and always feed tomatoes in moderation. Honestly, most dogs are likely better off with raw tomatoes, as there are concerns with cooked tomatoes about added ingredients that could be toxic to your dog.
Can Dogs Eat Tomato Sauce?
Unless you’re making your tomato sauce—and know every ingredient included—we would avoid sharing tomato sauce with your dog. The concerns about common additives like garlic and onion are just not worth the risk. Many typical ingredients in tomato sauce are not acceptable for your dog, and most dogs prefer a small piece of a ripe raw tomato.
Overall, veggies like tomatoes can make good treats, especially for overweight dogs. Tomatoes are rich in nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, and folate (vitamin B9). Tomatoes are also a good source of fiber.
Today, “canned” foods come in many types of packages, including metal cans (of course), as well as heat-sealed plastic trays, foil/polymer film pouches, and foil/plastic/paperboard boxes. The cans, being 100% recyclable, are the most environmentally friendly, but the other packages offer more flexibility for small servings from a freshly opened container.
There are many reasons people feed canned food to their dogs (we will get into those in a minute) and one main reason why more people do not feed canned: The price of canned food—especially the best canned foods—is prohibitively expensive for many of us, unless, perhaps, you’re feeding just one small dog.
But let’s go back to the reasons to feed canned food—reasons that may justify the cost for owners of certain dogs:
With at least 75% moisture, and as much as 85% or more, canned dog food is one of the best possible ways to make sure that a dog with kidney and other urinary tract issues consumes enough moisture. Dogs who are prone to dehydration or who are given diuretic medications benefit from a high-moisture diet.
Canned foods are generally very low in carbohydrates, or contain zero carbohydrates. (Remember, dogs have zero nutritional requirement for carbs. They can obtain all of their nutritional needs from protein and fat sources.) This is most helpful when feeding dogs who have cancer. (Tumors use carbohydrates as an energy source, so you want your cancer-patient dog to consume as few carbs as possible.)
The vast majority of canned foods are made with fresh (or fresh-frozen) meats instead of meat meal, which has been highly processed before its potential inclusion into a secondary food-production process. Overall, the ingredients in canned foods are subjected to much less processing than those in dry foods.
Canned foods are more digestible than kibble, meaning, your dog will absorb more nutrients in the food. This helps dogs who have sensitive stomachs or other digestive issues.
With their high meat content, canned foods are extremely palatable to most dogs, without the addition of sweeteners or other palatants. This, and the physical properties of loaf-style canned food (spoonable, spreadable, freezable), make it highly convenient for use in behavior-change or -maintenance applications (filling Kong or Toppl toys, lick mats, and other time-consuming food puzzles). Other people “top” their dog’s kibble with a bit of canned food, whether to help entice picky eaters or to just give their dogs something more delicious than kibble.
Best Canned Dog Food by Category
With all of these compelling reasons to feed canned, why don’t you? If the burden of having to choose an appropriate product from the overwhelming number of canned dog foods that are on the market is holding you back, maybe we can help!
Using the criteria we’ve always used to select and highlight foods (which you can view below) we’ve chosen at least three products to recommend in eight different categories, which, in turn, were chosen to highlight attributes that different dog owners might have foremost in mind for meeting their dogs’ needs. The categories are:
Some dogs need only an adult-maintenance diet, which generally contain lower amounts of fat and protein (and a few other nutrients) than puppies do, whereas growing puppies, pregnant or nursing moms, and highly active dogs need an “all life stages” food. (Remember, the nutrient requirements for growth [i.e., “puppy food”] and foods for “all life stages” are the same.)
Beyond those two basic categories, your dog might have specific needs for a limited-ingredient or grain-free diet, or one with lower amounts of fat or higher amounts of protein. Some human needs and priorities have been considered, too: Some owners feel strongly about feeding a diet that does not contain animals, and still others might have budgetary limitations; we have selections to meet those criteria, too!
In order to choose our favorites in each of these categories, and in addition to our usual selection criteria having to do with the candidates’ ingredients, we considered our own experiences with the companies. Have they invited us or allowed us to personally tour their production facilities or speak to their formulators?
We also took into account the companies’ demonstrated willingness to disclose to us their manufacturing location or locations and the qualifications of the person or people who formulated the companies’ products, and to provide us with technical information about their products, such as complete nutrient analyses and the results from any digestibility studies they’ve conducted.
Of course, it’s great if you don’t even have to ask for this information. Companies that publish complete nutrient analyses for their products on their websites will always get more consideration from us. Why every dog food maker doesn’t do this is beyond our comprehension.
Here are our top picks in canned dog food:
Best Adult Maintenance Canned Dog Food
Rawz 96% Chicken & Chicken Liver Dog Food
Things we like:
Clean, simple recipe; essentially just chicken and chicken liver (plus a vitamin/mineral mix)—and no carbs
Expanded nutrient analysis available on company website
Blackwood Chicken & Chicken Liver With Pumpkin & New Zealand Mussels (Min 1.5% fat)
Hound & Gatos Pork & Liver Recipe (Min 3.5% fat)
Best Grain-Free Canned Dog Food
Caru Classics Turkey With Lamb Stew
Things we like:
No reliance on (and typical over-representation of) legumes to replace grain
Amount of taurine on the guaranteed analysis
Food is made with 100% human grade ingredients
Moderate protein and fat levels
First 10 ingredients: Turkey, turkey bone broth, pumpkin, apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, lamb, tapioca starch, lentils
Protein: Min 5%
Fat: 2%
Calories: 258 Kcal/12-oz carton
Cost: $0.42/oz
Runners up:
Wellness Complete Duck & Sweet Potato
Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe
Nulo’s Small Breed Pâté for Puppy
Best Canned Dog Food Containing Alternative Proteins
Health Extension Vegetarian Entrée
Note: The advantage of canned dog food is its ability to provide a food with a high meat inclusion in a long-lasting, shelf-stable container. But for those who want to feed a canned diet, and don’t want to or can’t give their dog meat, here you go!
We prefer non-legume carb sources; our top pick contains only one legume.
Of the canned vegetarian foods we found, this has the most protein at 7%
First 10 ingredients: Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, water sufficient for processing, brown rice, carrots, olive oil, peas, blueberries, cranberries, kale
Protein: Min 7%
Fat: 2%
Calories: 276 Kcal/can
Cost: $0.30/oz
Runners up:
Halo Holistic Adult Dog Garden of Vegan Recipe
Natural Balance Vegetarian Recipe
WDJ’s Canned Dog Food Selection Criteria
Here’s the criteria we use to choose the products that we include on our “Approved Canned Foods” list, as well as our selections for the overall “Best” canned foods.
Top-quality canned dog foods exhibit these hallmarks of quality:
Named animal protein sources at the top of the ingredients list. Ingredients in pet food are listed in order of the weight of that ingredient in the formula, so you want to see a named animal protein source or sources in at least one of the top two spots on the list of ingredients. (“Named” means the species is identified: chicken, beef, lamb, etc.)
Water or broth may be first or second on the list, as the addition of water is often necessary for processing. But the animal protein source or sources should appear immediately after that.
If plant proteins are present in the food, we like to see them play a supporting role, appearing lower on the ingredient list – no earlier than the fifth or sixth position. The amino acid profiles offered by animal proteins suit dogs better than those of peas, potatoes, corn, soy, etc.
Named fat sources. Just as with the animal protein sources, any animal fat sources should be identified by species (i.e., chicken fat, beef fat, pork fat, etc.).
Whole foods. When vegetables, fruits, grains, and/or other carbohydrate sources such as chickpeas, peas, or sweet potatoes are used, to the extent possible, they should be whole.
Ingredients that have already been processed, shipped, and stored before they are mixed with other ingredients and processed again (canned) lose more of their nutritive value along the way than those that are shipped and stored whole before their inclusion into the wet food mix.
Ingredients that are certified as organic, humanely raised, or sustainably farmed. Companies will use wiggle words to lend the impression that they are using the best ingredients available. Certifications give these claims credibility.
Here are the things we look out for – undesirable attributes that indicate a lower-quality food:
Animal products that are not specified by species. Meat, meat meal, poultry, poultry meal, animal fat, poultry fat: If your dog is intolerant of or allergic to certain ingredients, you have to know what you’re feeding him.
Animal by-products. This includes meat by-products and poultry by-product. We would strongly prefer to know what, exactly, is being included in the food, instead of “by-products” being used as a catch-all term for whatever. In some cases, the “by-products” used may well be nutritious chicken liver, chicken kidneys, and chicken hearts – well, say that then!
Ingredient splitting. This is where two or more very similar food “fractions” appear on the ingredients list. Because the ingredients are listed in descending order of their weight, a manufacturer can make it appear that a high-quality ingredient is represented in the food in a greater amount than it is. If all the iterations of an ingredient (to use a common example, brown rice, white rice, brewers rice) were combined or reconstituted, they would outweigh and push the higher-quality ingredient down on the ingredients list.
Added sweeteners. Sweeteners are sometimes used in low-quality foods to increase their palatability. In canned foods, the protein- and fat-rich meaty ingredients should be enough to tempt the appetite of any dog. If sweeteners are needed in a canned food, we’d be highly suspicious.
Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. None of these are needed (or common, thankfully) in canned food.
Each of the canned dog foods we have included in our “Best Canned Dog Food” selections, and all of the foods on our “Approved Canned Dog Foods” list, meet our selection criteria for top-quality canned foods (described above) – but we’ve also included some softer criteria in our choices for these “Best” selections, including:
Past experience with the company. (Have they been, in our experience, easy to reach and quick to respond to questions? Have they invited us or allowed us to personally tour their production facilities or speak to their formulators?)
A company’s demonstrated willingness to provide its location, qualifications of the person/people who formulated the company’s products, complete nutrient analyses, digestibility studies, and other technical information about its products. (The more of this information that’s on a company’s website, the more brownie points they get from us.)
Past performance of the company (i.e., few or no serious recalls).
Use Our Canned Dog Food Search Tools
With your dog’s specific needs in mind, we recommend searching among the pet food companies on our list of “Approved Canned Foods” (available to WDJ subscribers only). We’d also like to recommend using the tool to search our list of more than 800 individual foods and add as many filters as you want to find the most appropriate candidates for your dog. Looking for a higher-protein, lower-fat food without chicken or peas? Add the filters and search!
And don’t forget: One-size-fits-all recommendations don’t work when it comes to diet. Feed each of your dogs what works best for him. It’s great when you have more than one dog and they can thrive on the same variety of food, but don’t take this for granted.
(Note: Affiliate links are offered for your convenience. Whole Dog Journal is reader-supported. If you purchase food through links on our site we may earn a commission. Whole Dog Journal does not accept money for its food and product reviews.)
STOP! Don’t do it! Whether the idea of adopting two puppies just occurred to you, or you had been planning to adopt two all along, every trainer I’ve ever met would advise you to think twice and adopt just one. Because training and socializing littermates well is more than twice as difficult as training and socializing one puppy.
